Until ‘Saju’ Do Us Part – Korean Superstitions and Folk Religion in the Modern Era

A 2022 survey of religious affiliation found that 51% of people in the Republic of Korea identified with no religion, while Christians formed the largest religious community at 31%, including 20% Protestants. Despite these figures, certain traditional rituals and folk customs remain respected and observed. The popularity of ‘saju’ is one expression of this attachment to everyday ‘magical practices’.

At first glance, saju interpreters—who, put simply, read an individual's destiny from configurations associated with their birth year, day and precise time—resemble commercial astrologers offering services to the superstitious in tents or inexpensive premises. Saju, however, derives from a worldview that historically shaped not only major personal decisions but also the running of the state. Couples consult it before engagements or weddings, entrepreneurs seek advice, and students turn to it before important examinations. It matters especially to those who regard the discipline as legitimate. Different attitudes towards saju help reveal the complex identity of a society still marked by colonial trauma and subsequent rapid but uneven development.

Mgr. Alexander Gubo studied Religious Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University. In the Republic of Korea, he completed a master's degree in Korean Studies at Hanyang University. At the time of the lecture, he was pursuing doctoral studies in Cultural Anthropology at the Academy of Korean Studies.

The lecture took place online and can be watched on YouTube:

Lecture date and time: 22. 3. 2023 at 17:30 – 19:00

The lecture series was supported using public funds by the Slovak Arts Council.